The emergence of the senior Cape Cobras star JP Duminy as a genuine all-rounder provides South Africa with new options in test cricket, said Justin Ontong, the Cobras captain.

Duminy, middle-order stalwart and off-spinner of South Africa in all three formats, was the destroyer-in-chief in the first innings of the second test against Bangladesh in Mirpur on 30th July. He captured three for 27 in 15 overs as the Tigers slumped to 246 for eight in their first innings. The match was abandoned due to rain that only allowed 88.1 overs on the first day. Ontong said not only does Duminy bowl with good variation and turn it prodigiously occasionally, but he also gets some drift into the batsmen. Duminy’s work-ethic is a factor in his continuous improvement. “I know JP. He works so hard on his game and he seeks to introduce new elements. He is probably working on a different thing now. A few months ago, he attended the spinner’s camp as well,” said Ontong. Duminy was one of the heroes of South Africa’s nine-wicket demolition of Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup quarter-final as he produced a stunning hat-trick. “Due to the way that JP is bowling right now, you almost don’t need Simon Harmer (in the test team). It offers you other options in the subcontinent, as you can introduce a left-arm spinner like Aaron Phangiso. In South African conditions, you might even use a four-prong pace attack,” Ontong said. Paul Harris, a former left-arm spinner of South Africa, says Duminy gets a good loop on his deliveries. In the second test against Bangladesh, he bowled about 5 kilometres per hour slower than Harmer, who might have erred by bowling a South African pace. Duminy consequently turned the ball more. “I’m not saying Simon is not a good bowler, but the way JP is bowling right now, he is doing as good a job. “I would still say you need an attacking spinner in South African conditions, like an Imran Tahir or Eddie Leie, with JP doing the back-up job. On certain grounds, like Newlands and Centurion, you need an attacking spinner.”